After nearly 20 years of leading his own design firm and making countless dreams come true with his gorgeous interior decorating skills, you would think designer and expectant dad Nate Berkus would be brimming with inspiration for his first baby’s nursery. And while that may be true, Berkus, 43, is waiting until the baby is born this spring to turn those ideas into design.

“I’m Jewish, so we don’t decorate the nursery before the baby’s born,” he told PEOPLE.

In September, Berkus and his husband, Jeremiah Brent, announced the exciting news on Facebook that they were expecting via a surrogate: “We have had the most special year and its JUST become even more beautiful. We are happy to announce that we are expecting our first child!”

The pair, who married in May 2014 after two years of dating, added they “can’t share much,” and that’s likely because, following Jewish tradition, they have decided to reveal as little as possible about their future son or daughter until the baby’s arrival.

Jewish custom suggests that drawing attention to a baby before birth brings bad luck, so parents-to-be tend to wait until the delivery room to find out a baby’s gender, and often don’t even reveal they are pregnant to those outside their immediate family until they have a visible bump.

More religiously observant Jews will also typically avoid discussing baby names and hosting pre-birth celebrations like baby showers. As the due date nears, expectant parents may shop for newborn essentials, but it’s customary to wait until the baby is born before bringing these items into the home or showering new parents with gifts.

We already know that Berkus has impeccable taste when it comes to designing chic nurseries, so we can’t wait to see what he’ll do for Baby Berkus-Brent.

Happy Chinese New Year! As we enter the Year of the Sheep (or goat, or ram; they’re used interchangeably, and the Chinese character denotes a goat or a sheep), you might have high hopes for baby’s sleep schedule. After all, counting sheep is the ticket to a good night’s sleep, right? Regardless of how nursery-friendly this year’s animal is, baby’s astrological fate hangs in the balance. We talked to Chinese Astrologer Shelly Wu, a teacher at the International Academy of Astrology, to find out what’s in store for babies born this year.

“Parents of little ones born into goat years need to stock up on art supplies, pencils and paper, as they may have a little Michelangelo or Mark Twain on their hands,” says Wu, indicating we can expect some creative babies. Want to help them along? This classic toys roundup features the crayons, blocks and musical instruments perfect for inspiring some infant creativity.

“Those born into goat years are also known as the good Samaritans of the eastern zodiac due to their tender heart for animals and other vulnerables,” she adds. “Goat children need a very unstructured educational style for their sensitive, creative nature.” First thing’s first; start by choosing the right daycare for baby.

Were you born in the Year of the Goat? Tell us how these predictions stack up!

With one day to go at Toy Fair 2015, we still have a lot to see. But after a weekend of dodging light-up boomerangs and power scooters meant for older kids, we’re happy to say that this year, it seems baby toys are getting back to the basics.

Don’t get us wrong; design is still innovative, and toys are more streamlined (and cuter) than ever. There’s just fewer flashy, techy, app-oriented products for the two-and-under crowd than you might expect.

Blocks

Eco-friendly brand Green Toys is bringing back their block set due to popular demand. Made from recycled plastic milk jugs, these blocks are the perfect size for little hands to grip. Available in June, $25.

Stackers

Your infant will hone her eye for design while mastering hand-eye coordination with this Patterned Stacker from Kid O. Mix and match colors and shapes for long-lasting fun. Available in April, $30.

Dolls

Manhattan Toy Company is revamping their Stella baby doll. This smiley plush toy is the perfect first doll for baby. And this new generation has a twist — each doll is lightly scented. The one shown here? Lavender. Available in March, $35.

Rattles

Roll it, shake it, bite it or squeeze it — the multipurpose design is what earned this little Skip Hop hedgehog an award at Nuremberg, the world’s largest toy fair. Available now, $8.

Nursery Gear

Perfect for the crib or car, the Albert Mirror by Lilliputiens offers baby all sorts of stimulation. It rattles, crinkles, and the elastic tail is fun to pull. But let’s be honest; baby will probably be distracted by his own adorable face. Easily pop out the mirror and wash Albert whenever needed. Available in the next few weeks, $30.

Are you and your partner history buffs? Why not give your baby a distinguished — and decidedly presidential — baby name? Check out our favorite presidential baby names, then place your vote! Just be sure you can set your baby’s nursery mobile to “Hail to the Chief” instead of “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.”

It’s not the first incident we’ve heard of, and it probably won’t be the last; another baby monitor was hacked on Tuesday, this time in a Houston home.

The nanny, Ashley Stanley, was changing baby Samantha’s diaper when she heard a man’s voice telling her just how dirty it was.

“I heard someone talking on the camera monitor and I was like, maybe my bosses were playing a trick on me or something,” Stanley told local news station KPRC.

But that wasn’t the case: A stranger hacked into the family’s Wi-Fi and took control of the monitor. This Foscam monitor, like many other brands, connects with Wi-Fi to allow parents to check in from mobile devices like iPhones or tablets.

Beyond the obvious scary invasion of privacy, this hack — a state and federal crime — raises some serious concerns. Was he ever watching while the mother was breastfeeding? Is he trying to figure out when the house is empty? While the culprit is still unknown, police say they should be able to track him down.

How can you prevent this from happening to you? Make sure your monitor’s software is up to date. Foscam had hacking occurrences in the past and made software changes in light of the problems (and know that this has happened to other brands too). If possible, set a password for your monitor. After that, consider where you set it up, and how often you leave it on. Do you really want it on in your bedroom at all times?

With winter storm Juno barreling into the northeast, we’ve seen the same question pop up in our Community again and again: is it safe to shovel snow while pregnant? Bumpies seem to have come to a consensus: you can but probably shouldn’t. And we couldn’t agree more.

During the first and second trimesters, it’s like any other physical activity. How much you can do depends on your pre-pregnancy fitness ability. (But you will want to be careful of your footing; if it’s especially icy, stay indoors.) The New England Pregnancy Center recommends shoveling slowly and taking plenty of breaks.

Bumpies seemed to be on point with this one when Bethy84 posed the question: “Do you suppose if I take it slow and easy, it’s kosher for me and my son to shovel the sidewalks?”

“Just be careful of turning your back and how you bend — our lower back muscles are super-relaxed now and can very easily get strained or pulled,” answers MissStacyLynn. “Yes, I pulled a back muscle (2-3 weeks of recovery) a few weeks ago from moving (light) furniture and nursery items.”

“I relegate all the heavy lifting to DH in pregnancy. I will sweep snow. I will clean off the car. I will not shovel heavy, wet, icy snow,” says user Pepomntpat.

“I shoveled a lot when pregnant with my son; we had a terrible winter and I was working in the schools, so I’d have the day off and my husband would be at work. Go slow, do a little at a time, don’t lift too much and you should be okay,” recommends user MA&CB.

Why are your muscles so relaxed and prone to sprains? Robert Wool, MD, tells The Bump that during pregnancy, your body secretes relaxin, a hormone that loosens ligaments to prep your body and birth canal for labor. No matter what shape you’re in, this can pose problems while shoveling.

“Even if you’re physically fit, there’s potential for back and other musculoskeletal injury,” Joseph Apuzzio, MD, the director of maternal fetal medicine at New Jersey Medical School, told CNN. Plus, torso twisting and back bending become more difficult as your bump gets bigger.

So if you’re looking to sit out on shoveling duty, playing the pregnancy card is totally fair.

We’re pretty vested in your flu prevention (and baby’s!) this winter. So first thing’s first — if you didn’t see this post from Dr. Altmann, give it a read. Another thing you can do to reduce your chances of getting sick? Invest in a good humidifier. Sounds boring, we know, so we turned to The Nest for some help. While any of these seven options are perfect for the nursery, they’re also sleek enough for any room in your house.

This is the first child for Lim. And if there’s a second? “Everything [in the nursery] is gender neutral, which is also practical,” she tells The Bump. “Let’s say if I have a boy next then I don’t have to buy anything new!”

Congratulations, Chriselle! We’ll be keeping an eye on your Instagram (and Twitter…and website…) for more adorable snapshots of Chloe.

Blogger Chriselle Lim has been sharing her pregnancy journey on her blog, The Chriselle Factor, these last few months. Now that she’s just weeks away from giving birth to a daughter whom she’s already named Chloe, she and her interior designer Lucinda Pace of Laurel & Wolf gave The Bump an exclusive tour of the one thing Chriselle has been keeping under wraps: the nursery. The space, which once served as a guest room in Lim’s Los Angeles-area home, has been turned into the coziest of nurseries that could easily welcome a boy or girl. And looking at every detail inside the serene, woodland-themed space makes us very jealous that Chloe is one very lucky — and beloved — baby girl.

Tell us about how you came up with the vision for Chloe’s nursery?

Lucinda: Chriselle’s classic style and love for a neutral palette were the basis for the design. We knew we wanted to keep colors minimal and the overall feel of the nursery to be soft and sophisticated.

It’s both sophisticated and sweet but not typically “girly.” Was it a deliberate decision to not do pink or use a gender-specific color?

Chriselle: Yes! I’m glad you noticed that. That is a reflection of my own personal style and aesthetic: I don’t like things that are overly girly or vice versa. When I get dressed in the morning and I’m wearing a feminine dress, I’ll usually tone it down with a pair of edgy booties or modern sneakers. I like to describe my style as elegant, sophisticated and classic, and I wanted the nursery design to reflect that as well. Besides, I don’t think my husband would appreciate it if the nursery was decked out in pink head to toe! Everything is gender neutral, which is also practical. Let’s say if I have a boy next then I don’t have to buy anything new!

What was the timeline to getting it all done?

L: Before Chloe got here! But seriously after submitting the style boards things were underway pretty quickly; maybe a few weeks.

Were there any unexpected challenges?

C: We realized that we didn’t order enough wallpaper. It would’ve only covered three walls, but it all worked out as I LOVE how the one accent wall looks like.

What was the mood you wanted to capture in the room? And what was the room used for before it became the nursery?

C: I’ve always envisioned the nursery to feel pure and cozy. Before the nursery, the room was used as our guest room. The house I live in is actually the same house my husband grew up in, so it’s quite sentimental as the room is also the same room he grew up in as a child.

L: The guest room needed to transform into a serene and calming space, the kind of room you know to whisper in when you walk into it. We wanted everything to be cozy yet chic, and incorporating different textures and shades of cream and French gray made that happen.

What were your must-haves for the room?

C: The Serena & Lily crib — I’ve heard so many amazing things about it! Also the swivel & glider chair from Serena & Lily, as I know I’ll be spending a lot of time in the room breastfeeding; it’s important that I had a comfortable place in the room.

What was the most fun part of designing the nursery together?

C: It was great having a second opinion on things. Sometimes I second guess myself when it comes to interior design, so it was nice having a professional understand and execute my vision. It was very rewarding seeing it all come together in the end!

L: Chriselle and I speak the same language when it comes to design and style. We had a great repertoire to begin with so we decided to continue that into the rest of the house — coming soon! It was my first nursery design, so for me it was great to research and see what’s out there. Working within a more refined palette gave me the opportunity to get creative, which yielded a unique look.

Tell us about some of the special pieces in the room.

C: I absolutely love the little chandelier in the room, it really brings the room together — it’s the perfect amount of femininity! Also the “C” on the wall above the crib (probably will have to change the location once the baby arrives due to safety) is a piece of decor from my baby shower that my girlfriends threw for me.

L: We turned to Serena & Lily for the nursery furniture, and the inlaid dresser is also a Serena & Lily piece from their home collection. I think it gives a nice contrast to the nursery items and it’s a piece that Chloe can use over the years as she grows. I think the chandelier gives the room a bit of whimsy; it’s very French flea market feeling and really pulls the space together.

There doesn’t seem to be many “storage solutions” (a terrible phrase, we know) in the room. Where will all the toys and baby shower gifts be going?

L: The wicker elephant is a hamper that can double as a storage piece, and we figured on most of the toys living in the teepee. There is a decent-sized closet as well.

We see an animal theme with the woodland wallpaper, the Sharon Montrose animal photography and many plush animal toys…

C: The woodland wallpaper I found on a blog, and I instantly fell in love the whimsical animals and knew I had to have it for Chloe’s room. I’ve always loved Sharon Montrose animal photography, and knew I had to have it in the nursery. Lucinda had the exact same ideas as I did. It’s funny, she was looking at the same wallpaper as I was. She was nice enough to bring all the sweet plush animal toys. We are hoping that Chloe will be a big animal lover!

L: You will always find animals in my design! I love animals and I love incorporating animal pieces; it’s just a given in any of my spaces. I had originally specified some different animal photography but when Chriselle sent me the link to The Animal Print Shop I was immediately sold. The hardest part was choosing only a few. The Forest Fauna wallpaper is funny because I had just stumbled upon it while looking for another client when she inquired about it the very same day. It’s such a sweet yet modern pattern and the soft hue of gray was perfect.

What’s your advice for other parents-to-be who are about to prep their own nurseries?

C: Pinterest is your best friend. I spent hours looking for inspiration, and it really helped me get started on the nursery. If you are able to find some help and a second opinion, definitely take it! I always second guessed myself when it comes to interior design so it was great having Lucinda around to help me narrow everything down. I also wasn’t in the physical condition (during my third trimester) to do the nursery on my own, so I highly recommend on getting it done before your third trimester!

L: There is so much content available on nursery design, you won’t have to look far for inspiration. I would recommend getting started as early as possible, especially if you are interested in painting, wallpaper or any other task that may involve a good amount of labor. Also, most furniture needs to be assembled! This beautiful room was once a pile of boxes. Enjoy your pregnancy and hire a professional designer to take care of the heavy lifting, it’s worth it.

We’ve caught a glimpse of The Bachelorette‘sAshley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum’s nursery before, but our friends at Project Nursery are sharing a full look into the travel-themed space. Thanks to designer Vanessa Antonelli of NessaLee Baby, the couple was able to seamlessly add rustic touches to a modern space, which baby Fordham will no doubt love as he grows.

“When I first met with Ashley, I asked her to show me things she likes in terms of other spaces, furniture and decor. I felt like all of the things she chose were very different from each other,” Antonelli told Project Nursery. “I wanted to give her exactly what she was dreaming of, so I needed to find a way to fuse the two styles so they made sense together visually. I think the best way to do that is to not go color crazy.”

The result was a neutral-colored room with a subtle travel theme, a nod to Ashley and J.P.’s memories of traveling together. Maps, sailboats and airplanes can be found throughout the space. While the couple found it difficult to choose a favorite piece, Antonelli says they ultimately love the driftwood wall the most. That wall features a special accent — a handmade set of wire Letters spelling “Fordham.”

“I always like to choose some handmade products to add into every space I design. There are so many talented artisans in this world and it makes the room that much more special,” says Antonelli.

Want to recreate this space for yourself? Here’s a rundown of what’s inside: